


Something Precious

by SummonerYuki



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Action, Angst, Friendship, Good versus Evil, Love, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 09:14:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11756679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummonerYuki/pseuds/SummonerYuki
Summary: It's not easy to be a university student moonlighting as a defender of the universe, even less so to be the normal boyfriend of one. Taric only wishes for two things: the continued chance to pursue his dreams as a hair stylist and designer, and the safety of the golden boy of the Star Guardians--his best friend and lover, Ezreal. But something is brewing in the city of Valoran that threatens to deny both of his wishes.A take on the other side of the Star Guardians from the perspective of someone who cares for them all on the ground below.





	Something Precious

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RedTied](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedTied/gifts).



He wasn’t trying to sneak out exactly, but he wasn’t looking forward to saying goodbye either. He shut the door quietly and stayed close to the wall, creeping on the balls of his feet towards the front door. The pager on his waist flashed a neon blue silently, and he swallowed hard.

_Almost… there—_

“You can at least leave a note, you know.”

Ezreal let out a yelp and spun around, hands clenching the bag he’d thrown over his shoulder tightly. A light flipped on, and Taric was standing there at the mouth of the kitchen with his arms folded patiently. Even in his pajamas he looked coordinated and dignified, with thick chestnut hair piled on top of his head in a perfectly messy bun and his pajama top and bottoms both a matching shade of silky blue. Ezreal let his eyes wander for just a moment, mouth dry; the pajama top was unbuttoned, and even with his arms crossed, he could still see the strong dip of his partner’s chest and the sharp peaks of his collarbones.

“You’re sneaking out of the house like a criminal,” Taric continued in Ezreal’s silence, and it knocked the man back into reality.

“…I, uh… you have work tomorrow,” he replied lamely. He bunched his fists around the bag of his uniform. “I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“Tomorrow’s my day off,” Taric reminded him bitterly, and Ezreal’s face flushed.

“I just didn’t want to wake you up, okay?” he said, voice defensive. He tried to turn towards the door again. “I have to go, I can’t talk right now—”

“Ez—”

“I said I can’t _talk,_ Tar. I have to—I have to go…”

He shuffled hurriedly towards the door, pulling it open with just a bit too much force. He winced and apologized quietly as it hit the wall, deepening the previous dent from so many times before.

“Just be careful,” Taric called softly behind him, and Ezreal bit his lip as he let the door close.

He hated seeing that look on his face, that sad look like he was going off to war and was never coming back. He took the pager from his belt as he jostled down the stairs of Taric’s apartment, typing back that he was on his way as he exited out of the back of the building to avoid the doorman. Jinx was there when he arrived, throwing a motorcycle helmet roughly at his head as he jogged up to her bike.

“Took you long enough,” she snapped, though her voice was less irritated and more mercilessly teasing. “What were you doing, making out with your _boyfriend_ or something? _Hah-ha!”_

Ezreal shook out his hair and slid the helmet on, sliding his arms into the loops of his bag before quickly latching onto his teammate’s waist as she revved the engine of her bike.

“Let’s just go,” he shouted over the roar of the engine, and Jinx let out a scream despite the early morning hours and shot her bike out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell. Ezreal held onto her tight, pressing his face against her thin back and wincing when her sharp shoulderblades dug into the side of his face.

_Don’t look back, don’t look back, just don’t look back—_

He was aware of the mistake he was making as he glanced over his shoulder.

The lights were on in Taric’s apartment now, shining like a beacon at the pinnacle of the ritzy apartment complex. He stood on the balcony silhouetted against the light, and Ezreal felt a deep sense of remorse stab at his gut at the sight of him.

_Just be careful._

_I’m always careful._

_Yes, but I still worry. You know I love you._

_Yeah, I know…_

Ezreal watched him until the lights of the apartment faded, and he closed his eyes after, listening to the thrum of the engine beneath him and trying to keep his thoughts from fixating on the man waiting for him at home.

* * *

 

“Taric, I thought you had the day off today.”

The stylist threw a barber’s cape over his client’s shoulders, letting out a small hum.

“My plans fell through, so I thought I may as well come in,” he twittered in response, trying to keep his voice from sounding clipped. “And a good move as well, otherwise I may have missed my _favorite_ customer,” he added, snapping the cape on before draping his arms over the woman’s shoulders. She giggled and reached up to grasp his wrists, shrieking with delight as he planted a loud and embellished kiss on her cheek.

“Oh, I’m sure you say that to _all_ your customers,” she admonished lightly, pushing at him as he leaned up from her. He scoffed back as he reached for a comb and began smoothing her hair.

“All my customers are my favorites.”

“You _ham.”_

Taric laughed, and the sound was free. At work he could push his worries aside for a moment, if not only so that at the end of the day he could say he was doing his part and working hard too. At the end of the day, he could provide for someone who worked so hard to provide for everyone else. “What can I fix you up with today, darling?”

His customer laughed nervously for a moment, and Taric could see her face flush in the mirror across from him.

“Well, ah… it’s kind of silly, but I wanted to do something a little… radical?” She raised her hands as she spoke, waving them around her head. “I kind of wanted it like, like—I mean, you’re a fan of the Star Guardians, right?”

She gestured freely at the salon, which—while it wasn’t themed after the heroes—certainly had enough of their influence. Group photos of battles and news articles about the people they’d saved were scattered here and there, not enough to disrupt the opulent decoration of the place but enough to show he supported them. He even had their limited-edition photobook in the waiting room, something that Jinx in particular had teased him mercilessly for, even he’d caught her on more than one occasion pouring over it with starry eyes.

“You want hair like one of theirs?” he guessed with his best customer service smile. “No need to be embarrassed love, we get similar requests all the time. Your hair is light enough that we probably wouldn’t need to bleach it if you’d like Guardian Janna’s. Or maybe you’re more fond of Guardian Lux’s?”

The woman giggled again, clapping her hands together lightly for a moment.

“Actually… I was kind of thinking more of Guardian Ezreal’s?”

She pointed up at a picture over his work station. It was a framed image of Ezreal’s official debut card, the glass polished to a shine. It’d taken _weeks_ of wheedling, pouting, and whispered favors for Taric to finally get Ez to sign it, and it’d quickly become his prized possession in the shop. Taric stared up at it for a moment, gazing at the strong blue eyes and confident smile he was lucky enough to see in private, too.

“…he’s a wonderful Guardian,” he said finally, and the woman gushed.

“He’s _amazing!_ And so stylish too, his outfit is incredible—”

 _I mean, it’d better be, it’s not like it cost an arm and a leg and three weeks to make._ “Indeed, I like it.”

“And his hair is just _godly,”_ she ended with a dreamy sigh. “Ah, he’s just… he’s just really cool. Oh I don’t have a crush on him or anything,” she backtracked quickly, “I’m just really grateful to him and I like his style—”

“It’s okay to have a crush on him, I have one too,” Taric smiled at her, and the woman met his gaze in the mirror, beaming.

“I’m really grateful for everything he’s done, especially in my hometown,” she finished. “I know you’ll have to cut my hair, but do you think you could style it like his?”

Taric ran his hands through her blonde hair, letting it fall down her shoulders. “Of course I can, love. Blue too?”

“Yes please.”

“We can bleach it in layers if you’d like precise colors.”

“I’d like that, thanks.”

“Sure. Let me go get Becca, she’s our color specialist. She can speak to you about pricing and we can okay it before we start work.”

“Thank you, Taric. And thank you for not laughing.”

The man leaned down to kiss her cheek again, making her smile. “I would never,” he smiled back. “Hold on just a moment, I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

Taric let out a heavy sigh when he was out of earshot, shaking his own loose hair and reaching up to pull it back. He smiled and nodded as a customer waved at him from through the large sheet window that separated the salon from its accompanying store. He was lucky, he knew; blessed, even. He’d found his passion in styling hair, taking care of people in his own way, and he’d found a talent in designing clothes that accompanied the trendsetting looks his customers walked away with. It’d been his dream to own his salon, and now not only was he the proud owner of his own salon and twenty other talented employees, but he was successful enough to rent out and modify the building next to his to display his fashions. There wasn’t much left he could ask for; the chance to follow his dreams and be successful at them, the joy of interacting with the customers he loved so much every day, and the warm stability of knowing that somewhere out there—no matter how far away he was—someone loved him. He stood still for a moment after his hair was tied back until chatter from one of the flatscreens knocked him out of his thoughts.

_“The battle concluded early this morning as Guardians Janna, Jinx, Ezreal, and Lux dispatched late last night to Valoran Town Center in the wake of a Void appearance—”_

Blurry amateur footage of the fight played after, and Taric watched it with a knitted brow. Not much detail could be seen other than a dark mass over the city, with streaks of purple, red, and pink light dancing around it. His heart jumped every time a flash of blue appeared. A few muffled voices in the video argued as to whether the pink was Lux or Ahri, and another practically sobbed for Ahri to appear before the footage was cut short back to the announcer.

_“Damage was minimal, and all Guardians seemed to be unharmed as they dispersed after the fight…”_

Taric hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until he released it, and with a heavy sigh he turned away from the television to find his specialist. He was back with his customer and discussing color options with her and Becca when the shop bell rung.

“Taaaaaa _aaaaaaaaric,_ make us sushi tonight!”

The man looked up to see Jinx striding through the door like she owned the place, hands behind her head and whistling as she walked. Janna floated in behind her, dressed casually but sharply in a white blouse and dark khaki miniskirt. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a sharp bun; it looked like even with all the excitement of the night before she’d still managed to make it in to the class she was an assistant professor for. Jinx didn’t have her backpack, so he severely doubted she even bothered trying to roll in for class.

Luxanna tiptoed behind them both, excusing herself for the intrusion and greeting some of the hairdressers by name. She was in her school uniform even with dark rings under her eyes.

“Hi Taric,” she greeted cheerily, even though her voice was rimmed with exhaustion. He greeted her back, but his attention was elsewhere. He stood on his toes for a moment, and the breath left his lungs when a shock of tousled blonde hair finally came into view.

“Ezreal,” he sighed happily, and the man slid past Lux to smile at him. The look was hesitant for just a moment, and Taric knew why; he knew he felt guilty for leaving the night before, and for missing the opportunity to spend his day off with him. It wasn’t often that Ezreal’s day off from university classes synced up with his days off at work, and usually they were cherished. Taric excused himself for a moment to take a few steps forward and meet his lover halfway.

“Hi Taric—”

“Afternoon, love.”

Taric opened his arms, and Ezreal slid into them gratefully. The stylist hugged him tightly and buried his face in his hair, content when the man in his arms sighed.

“…I’m sorry about last night—”

“Please don’t let it bother you. You had a job to do. I just worry about you sometimes.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Tar.”

“I know. But you know me, I have nothing better to do when you’re all the way up here and I’m all the way down there.”

They squeezed each other for a moment before letting go, and Taric smiled at him before nodding back towards his customer.

“So _Taylor_ wants sushi tonight, hmm?” he mused as he walked back over towards his customer and colorist. “Darling, you remember my partner Ez, don’t you?”

“Of course!” his customer replied cheerily, and Becca nodded and tossed a hand over her shoulder for a fist bump. “You have the same name as the Guardian, right? Taric’s going to do my hair like his today,” she beamed, and Ezreal gave him a withered look. Taric just smiled and shrugged back.

“You’ll look great,” Ezreal offered, and the woman smiled back thankfully. Taric felt his face warm as he pulled back his customer’s hair.

“So it’s not enough for Taylor to order take-out, huh?” he began again, and he explained that one of Ezreal’s roommates wanted him to make sushi that night to include his customer in the conversation.

“She said it doesn’t taste as good as yours. I mean, I doubt she’d ever say that to your face, but…”

“The bad-girl type,” the customer concluded, and the rest nodded in agreement.

“The baddest.”

“If you all can pick up ingredients I’ll make it for you when my shift’s up,” Taric responded, and Ez smiled lightly at him.

“We can do that. We haven’t had your cooking in a while. That’d be nice.” Ezreal turned as Lux called to him. She was dragging Jinx out of Taric’s clothing store by one of her long braids, trying to keep her face calm and happy despite her eyebrows twitching in irritation. “Ah, I think time’s up. Don’t tell her I told you but Ji— _Taylor_ is fixated on your summer lineup, she wants that one halter top with the Ionian-style clouds on it. Luxanna is worried she’s going to blow all her school fees on it.”

Taric chuckled as he watched Lux lead her towards the door, lecturing her over her shoulder. He leaned over towards Ezreal, whispering, “Don’t tell Jinx, but I made it for her.”

“I can’t imagine how big her ego’d get,” his lover groaned back, and Taric laughed. Ezreal smiled back, his cheeks glowing for a moment as he leaned forward further and murmured behind his hand into Taric’s ear. _“Do you want to stay over tonight?_ The girls said it’d be alright.”

Taric paused for a moment to concentrate on his client’s hair, movements precise as he cut her hair above the ponytail he’d gathered. He held it out to her, and she squeaked in delight, chattering about how it was _happening, it’s really happening, I’m doing it!_ Taric laughed lightly before turning back to his partner.

“I’d like that,” he replied warmly, and Ezreal genuinely smiled at him.

“Ah, maybe next weekend we could—”

“Ez, _please,”_ Lux begged from across the store, and Ezreal nodded at her.

“Sorry,” he added, and he reached out to brush his fingers against Taric’s arm. “I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

Taric smiled at him, but told him slyly, “I don’t remember you having an appointment here today, and I have a _very_ busy schedule… at least pay your taxes?”

Ezreal’s face crinkled, but he leaned over and quickly planted a short but sweet kiss on his boyfriend’s lips. Taric all but shone, reaching up to brush a thumb over his cheek before pushing at his shoulder.

“Go on, before Luxanna loses her mind. I’ll see you tonight.”

“See you Taric. Have a good day at work.”

“Will do, love,” the man replied softly, and Ezreal’s face ignited, a repressed smile crawling over his face as he shuffled quickly towards the door. Taric laughed quietly to himself as the group left, the store quieting down significantly after.

“What a cute group of kids,” his customer quipped lightly, reaching up to run her hands over her new short hair as Taric brushed and separated it.

“They are. I care for them dearly.”

“Your boyfriend’s cute, too. You’ve been together for a while right?”

“We have,” Taric replied contently, and he felt a smile work its way over his face without trying. He made a few snips here and there, and staring down at his work, it made him think of all the times he’d trimmed Ezreal’s hair the same way. For just a moment he paused, letting a warm flower bloom into his chest. “We’ve been together for a few years now. That man…” A smile overtook his face, and he couldn’t help the giggle that escaped his lips. “He’s my hero.”

**Author's Note:**

> For clarification, probably because it'd be difficult to outline all of these within the story without being awkward:
> 
> \- Janna is an assistant professor studying for her masters degree in climatology at Ezreal's university. She is the eldest of the Star Guardians featured, and uses the public identity "Jenna."  
> \- Lux and Jinx attend the same feeder high school near the university (both are required to wear uniforms). Luxanna attends school with her elder brother Garen, a star athlete who excels at basketball. Lux uses her full name as her public identity (she comes from a prominent and protected family, which is enough of an identity cover; both Garen and her parents are aware of her occupation), and Jinx uses the name "Taylor." She's known as the school punk and is in danger of failing out from lack of attendance as she usually sleeps in the day after big battles. Somehow, no one's made the connection, as most people think she's too much of a delinquent to be fighting for the forces of good.  
> \- Ezreal is a university student studying geology with a minor in anthropology. He keeps his given name/the nickname "Ez" as his public identity despite its uniqueness. He's in his fourth year of a five-year program and plans to take a year off before pursuing his masters to travel the world with Taric. He's the second-eldest of the featured Star Guardians and only a few years younger than Taric, who he met while working at the mall one summer (where Taric worked at a salon before opening his own).
> 
> The four featured Star Guardians share an apartment halfway between the university and the high school, which makes it easier for them to study together as well as respond quickly as a team to disasters. Occasionally Ezreal will stay with Taric in his penthouse apartment halfway across town, though Janna often quietly insists that the team stay together as much as possible. The rest of the Star Guardians are broken up into smaller teams across Runeterra in order to have a larger field of protection, and combine when necessary to take down larger enemies.


End file.
